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Oregon’s Pacific Northwest Amtrak Cascades passengers will be among the first to experience the railroad’s new Airo trains that debut on Wednesday, September 30.
Oregon is recognized for its record-breaking use of the railroad, with ODOT reporting 14,263 passengers on the Eugene to Portland section in March 2024: a 57% increase over usage the previous year.
The two trains will make four trips daily between Portland and Eugene, Seattle, and British Columbia’s Vancouver. The Amtrak Cascades serves 18 stations along the I-5 corridor.
Tidings Data Snapshot
First Daily Airo ServicesScheduled from September 30, 2026| Train | Route | Departure |
|---|---|---|
| 503 | Seattle to Eugene | 7:10 a.m. |
| 508 | Eugene to Seattle | 4:30 p.m. |
| 516 | Seattle to Vancouver, B.C. | 8:30 a.m. |
| 519 | Vancouver, B.C. to Seattle | 4:45 p.m. |
Departures are from each route’s starting station. All times Pacific. Schedules are subject to change.
Source: Amtrak launch announcement / September 17, 2026DailyTidings.com
The new trains have been designed to deliver greater comfort, improved reliability, and modern connectivity.
They offer passengers more comfortable seats, upgraded cafe cars, and large accessible bathrooms. All seats also have individual power outlets, USB chargers, larger tray tables. And dedicated cup and tablet holders.
Six additional trains will rollout through early 2027, replacing the existing Amfleet and Talgo stock. Two new locomotives and a spare cab car are also on order to serve the Pacific Northwest route.
The new trains were manufactured in the U.S. by Siemens Mobility, and form part of a larger effort by Amtrak to replace and expand its passenger fleet.
Oregon’s annual ridership surpassed 125,000 in 2023, climbing to 161,899 the following year and marking the highest passengers numbers in the history of the Oregon portion of the Cascades service.
The high cost of gas and increased leisure travel contributed to the steady growth, as well as the introduction of lower ticket fares in 2023 and optimized morning schedules out of Eugene. GovDelivery
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